• Tour de France

Frank Schleck's B sample positive

ESPN staff
July 20, 2012
Frank Schleck was withdrawn from the Tour de France for testing positive for a banned substance © PA Photos
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Frank Schleck remains insistent he will prove his innocence despite his B sample coming back positive for a banned substance.

The Radioshack-Nissan rider claimed that should his B sample read positive the only explanation would be that he was the "victim of poisoning".

Schleck was withdrawn from the Tour de France on Tuesday after it was revealed a urine test taken after Saturday's stage had contained the diuretic Xipamide, which is used for the treatment of oedema, fluid retention and hypertension.

"Today I witnessed the analysis of the B-sample. The result of the counter test was positive but for me nothing changes: I just know that I did nothing wrong," said Schleck. "I will therefore continue my search to find out how the substance could have entered my body.

"At the moment we are analysing minute by minute what exactly I have been doing, eating, drinking on the days before the control and on the 14th of July itself, whom I met, what materials I came in contact with, what nutritional supplements I took.

"The medical world states that this product, when performing in extreme conditions such as in a cycling tour, is very dangerous; it can even cause death. Therefore I really need to find the cause that clarifies how this product ended up in my system: since I didn't take anything, I assume it must have been given to me by someone, or it could have happened through an accidental contamination, or it could be caused by something that is not yet known to me since we are still undertaking a number of analyses.

"Since these extra analyses will take a few days, I will communicate again from the moment I have received the results of the extra tests."

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